Gig-saddle.



110.832,'351. I PATENTBD ocT. 2, 1906.

H. VAN LENGEN.

GIG SADDLE.

Arrmoulon funn 23.19. nos.

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UNITED sTATEs HERMAN VAN LENGEN,

PATENT oEErcE.

OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN GIG SADDLE AND FELTCOMPANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.l

GIG-SADDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oct. 2, 1906.

Application filed April 19,1905. Serial No. 256.499.

To 1J/Z whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, HERMAN VAN LENGEN, of Indianapolis, county of Marion,and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Gig-Saddle;land I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which like numerals refer to like parts.

The object of this invention is to provide a strong metallic frame ingigi-saddles that is to some extent iiexible and resilient, whereby thesaddle may be adjusted to suit the form of the back of a particularhorse by bending the metallic frame, even after it is secured in thesaddle. After it is so bent it retains its form, although it is stillsufficiently yielding to make the piece of harness comfortable to thehorses back. Therefore strength, durability, limited resiliency, andcapacity for modification are the objects sought to be ob tained by thisinvention.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanyingdrawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal sectionthrough the gig-saddle constituting this invention. Fig. 2 is a planview of the metal frame. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through thegig-saddle in line with one of the terrets. Fig. 4 is a plan view of oneof the burs for one of the padscrews. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one ofthe burs for a terret. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the metal frame,modified forms of the same being shown by dotted lines.

The chief novel part is the metal frame. (Seen best in Figs. 2 and 6.)It is formed of two comparatively strong wires 10, secured to thelateral edges of a thin sheet-metal plate 11. The lateral edges of saidplate are turned over and about said wires. The frame asa whole isslightly wider in the middle than at the ends, and the lateral edges ofthe thin plate near the middle are not connected with the wires 10 andare not wrapped about the same; but said plate merely extends betweenthem. This feature of the construction is an important one, as it permits the frame to be modified by bending the wires 10 at the middle toshape the saddle to suit any horse. Hence the middle portion of theplate 11 is nearly horizontal, whereas the middle portion of the wires10 is curved. The plate 11 is also perforated, as will be hereinafterexplained, for the various binding parts of the device t0 extendthrough.

A bur-piece 15, made, preferably, of fiberboard and wider and largerthan the metal frame is superimposed upon it. To the lateral edges ofsaid bur-piece the pad-covering 13 is secured, that incloses the pad 14on the under side of said metal frame and bur-piece. The bur-piece hasholes to correspond with the holes in the metal plate. Upon the combinedpad, metal frame, and bur-piece a housing 12 is superimposed, saidhousing having a jockey 16 secured upon it, preferably by stitches. Askirt 17 is secured at its upper end to said housing under the jockey,and the back-band 18 is secured at the same place and hangs loosely overthe skirt. A seat 20 is secured to the metal frame of the saddle by abolt, (not shown,) that extends down from the seat through the hole 21in the metal frame. On said seat a hook 22 is fastened by the bolt 23,that goes down through the hole 24 in the metallic frame. The terrets 25have screws that pass through^ the holes in the jockey, housing, andbur-piece and screw into the two upwardly-extending heads 26 of the burs27 The heads 26 extend through the slots 28 in the metal frame, and theburs have holes 29, through which they are fastened to the bur-piece bytacks. The length of said burs is greater than the distance between thewires 10, so that if the burs should become loose they could not turnand escape from the terret-screws. There are also two screws 30, thatpass through the lower part of the jockey and the upper ends of theskirt and back-band and through the housing and bur-piece and screw tothe two upward extensions 31 on the burs 32, that fit into the slots 33in the metal frame and are secured to the bur-piece the same as the burs27.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a gig-saddle, a metal frame consisting of a thin sheet-metalplate, and a wire secured along each lateral edge thereof, said wiresbeing liexible and resilient so they will maintain any position intowhich they may be bent.

v -2. In a gig-saddle, a metal frame consisting of a thin sheet-metalplate, and a wire IOO along each lateral edge thereof, the edges of saidmetal plate being turned over and about the wire to secure the twotogether excepting in the middle portion of said frame so that saidwires may be bent at the middle without hindrance from the sheet ofmetal.

3. In a gig-saddle, a metal frame consisting of a thin sheet of metal awire along each edge of said sheet of metal and over and about which theedges of the metal sheet are turned for securing them together, saidwires being bent at their middle and said sheet of metal notextending-about them at the middle portion but extending between them.

4. In a gig-saddle, a metal frame consist* ing of a thin metal sheet, awire secured along each lateral edge thereof, said sheet fof metalhaving holes in it for the passage of binding parts, a bur-piecesuperimposed upon said metal frame, and burs secured to said burpieceand extending up through said slots in the metal plate, said bursexceeding in length the distance between the wires in said metal framenear said burs, so that said burs will be prevented from turning if theybecome loose.

5. The combination with a saddle-pad core consisting of a perforatedstrip of material, a sti'fem'ng spring-wire attached thereto throughoutits length, a ber-board strip attached thereto, and the pad attached tosaid fiber-board, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a saddlead core consisting of a strip ofmaterial, a pair of stifening springwires attached thereto and extendingthe length thereof, a fiber-board strip attached thereto, and the padattached to said ber-board, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto afhxed my signature in the presenceof the witnesses herein named.

HERMAN VAN LEN GEN Witnesses:

W. H. BONHAM, N. ALLEMONG..

